


Loosened Ties

by sweaterpaws (glitterjongdae)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, because i'm a slut for cliche, i take a lot of liberties with this fic, jd: remember on the 31st march 2009 at 21:45 you said, jm: why are u mad, xiubaeksoo is a side ship and comes along a little later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-28
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-08-18 09:45:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8157764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitterjongdae/pseuds/sweaterpaws
Summary: Junmyeon can't help but admire everything about Jongdae: from his slender waist to the way his laugh sounds a little bit like possibly the most beautiful thing on this planet. It's just a little unfortunate that Jongdae seems to hate his guts.Junmyeon and Jongdae as agents and other things that I have no idea about





	1. quick thinking and cute butts

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys this is my first exo fic and one of the first things i've written in a while so please enjoy it - this fic may need a little stretch of the imagination im honestly reaching with this one considering i know nothing about spies/agents???? so its a little ridiculous but its jongdae being loved and appreciated so :)

Junmyeon hates all the physical work that came with his job - the whole scaling walls, crawling through air vents and jumping out of windows deal just doesn’t do it for him. He never really meant to work in the field anyway, it just kind of happened a few years back and since then, Junmyeon cultivated his own, he liked to think, more intelligent style.

Which is why he was currently sat in the back of a sleek black car on its way to the Defense Minister’s Christmas party. There had been some intelligence that the DM had some dealings with foreign hostilities and so Junmyeon slowly and carefully introduced himself into his social circle, prying out as much information as was useful. Which is why he had no problem with the other aspects his job required like schmoozing, flirting or socialising - that he could do with ease. Gazing idly out of the window his mind wonders how to make excuses for his lack of a promised plus one. After the Defense Minister’s initial attempts to set Junmyeon up with his daughter, Junmyeon covered up wildly with a fabricated boyfriend that the Minister insisted on meeting.

Minseok was dragged out to China on a moment's notice and Kyungsoo just point blank refused. Junmyeon presses his fingertips to his temples: the day Kyungsoo optionally went to a party was the day Junmyeon would retire. But still what would he say? “Hi sorry, my go-to fake boyfriend was pulled out of the country on a mission and the other one hates this kind of gig.” Junmyeon wonders if he could just say his significant other was ill - again.

 

Junmyeon was still ticking off the amount of times he’d used the serious flu excuse when he was shown into the building by the doorman. His shoes press into the carpet that led to the main hall where he could see clusters of people dotted around the room through the large oak doors and a warm pulsing hum of chatter that grew louder and he drew nearer. Junmyeon’s eyes were zeroing in on the Defense Minister at the back of the hall who was obviously engaged with a tall, bald and rather imposing man when his attention's caught by a metallic clang from the door to the men’s restroom on his left. Sighing quickly, he veers to his left and opens the door to find a slender and suited man sprawled out on the floor. Junmyeon’s first, rather incredulous thought is that this man was a crazy lightweight - after all it was only eight in the evening. But as Good Samaritan Kim Junmyeon rushes forward to help the man, he found himself staring into the very disheveled, albeit very handsome, face of the last person he’d expect to see here: a very sober, scowling Kim Jongdae.

“Jongdae? Didn’t they tell you I had this all under control? You don’t need to be here.”

“They did tell me. You stole my mission. We planned for weeks and everything was set to go perfectly before we found out that Social Butterfly Kim Junmyeon had it all sorted months before we even got the brief. _I know_.” Jongdae’s tone is laced with bitterness so sharp, Junmyeon automatically swallows before responding.

“Are you angry at me right now? _Your_ mission?”

“This is the most important job Sooyoung has ever trusted me with. I'd be a field regular if this goes well.”

“This is a joke, right? You’re making a gamble on this nation’s security to advance your own career? How would you have accomplished anything here? You’re not even on the guest list - wait - how did you get in?”

Jongdae lifts himself off the ground without Junmyeon’s help and gestures nonchalantly towards the wide yet shallow window above the basins. Oh. That answers the question as to why Jongdae was on the floor. Junmyeon gets up and after brushing himself off, he draws the younger man closer and begins brushing white dust from his blazer lapels.

“I’m not usually this clumsy.” Jongdae lets out haughtily. Junmyeon rolls his eyes.

Jongdae was a junior agent but still highly capable - Junmyeon knew he was too impatient for office work and was eager to get into the field as much as possible. He didn’t have much of an opinion on Jongdae but would always turn around to glance subtly at his backside when they passed each other in the corridor. And to be totally honest, Junmyeon did have a small thing for his face too. Not necessarily a crush, Junmyeon just knew how to appreciate beauty in all its forms. Especially if that included a killer butt, or impossibly high cheekbones, or distinctly mauve velvety lips, or perhaps even slightly feline slanted eyes that as Junmyeon looked up, just happened to be staring at him. A light fluttering filled Junmyeon’s gut; which preluded the drop of his stomach when he realises with a jolt that Jongdae was actually glaring at him.

Glaring.

With contempt.

Junmyeon’s eyebrows furrow in confusion - Jongdae, he knew for some reason had never held positive feelings for Junmyeon ever since the younger started. Junmyeon opens his mouth to ask what exactly is Jongdae’s problem, when the door to the washroom swings open to receive the host of the party himself.

“Suho! I almost thought you weren’t coming but here you are! Fashionably late, as per usual,” the man almost tumbles into the washroom, smiling jovially, before clasping Junmyeon’s hand in his own.

“Ah yes, I apologise for my punctuality. You see my partner -” was horribly sick, Junmyeon planned to say.

He came down with an unexpected flu, were the next perfectly rehearsed words that Junmyeon planned to recite.

This didn’t happen.

There was a reason Junmyeon was so good at field work.

He was a quick thinker and a scarily skilled liar. Which definitely helped when he found himself in the bathroom with a politician and Jongdae.

“My partner had an urgent meeting, very last minute, you know how these things are.” he gestures to Jongdae. “Which is why we’re late.” He gives the man a charmingly easy smile, smoothly tying up all the loose ends.

The Defense Minister was already turning to Jongdae, who had swept the remnants of a horrified expression off his face after Junmyeon’s statement and arranged his features into a polite smile. Junmyeon watches as the broad shouldered politician places his hands on Jongdae’s shoulders, looking at him square in the face.

“So you’re Suho’s plus one! It is tremendous to finally meet you! I should tell you I’m not supposed to like you - I wanted to snag Suho for my daughter - you understand, he’s every father-in-law’s dream!” The Defense Minister lets out a reverberating chuckle before turning to Junmyeon. “I must say, you did a good job with this one. You make a very pretty couple. I’d expect nothing less from Suho’s other half.”

“His better half,” Jongdae slips his arm through the crook of Junmyeon’s, an all too bright laugh (somewhat resembling the ring of a bell, Junmyeon mused briefly) spilling from his lips as he converses easily with the Minister. Junmyeon watches Jongdae’s relaxed demeanour contrast with the grip he has on his arm and wonders whether he underestimated his junior’s skill.


	2. of all the gin joints in all the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongdae gets angry. Not surprising.

“You’re back! What took you so long? Did you get your ass kicked - again?” Baekhyun’s voice carries as Jongdae lets himself into their apartment. The younger looks towards the blond man on the sofa and smiles.

 

“You worry too much, honestly.” Jongdae makes his way over to his best friend and throws himself down next to the bundle of blankets under which Baekhyun was nestled. “If I wanted you to stay up and wait for me I would have married you.”

 

“Biggest mistake of your life, if I’m honest with you. I’m a wonderful husband.”

 

Jongdae lets out a snort. Baekhyun had been his best friend since university and had joined the company a short while before he had. For obvious reasons, the elder couldn’t disclose it to anyone, not even his best friend. And so when Jongdae joined a few months later, Baekhyun earned a punch to the shoulder and a hug from the younger.

 

“How did it go? Your first field mission?” Baekhyun pokes at Jongdae’s thigh, putting his book away.

 

“It was... boring. I wasn’t expecting it to be so - you know - dull?” Jongdae muses. He had literally spent the evening on a faux date with the person he disliked most and found out nothing particularly noteworthy or helpful.

 

Baekhyun let out a giggle - _actually giggles_ and looks up at him. “Well, what were you expecting? You’d apprehend a potential terrorist in one dinner party? Catch the bad guys in an hour? Be back at a decent time and not make your best friend worry all night?”

 

“I didn’t ask you -” Jongdae feels his tone rise with indignation before Baekhyun cuts him off.

  
“I’m kidding! It’s part and parcel of the job is what I’m trying to say. Look at Junmyeon for instance. He’s been working on this for months -”

 

At the mention of Junmyeon’s name, Jongdae rolls his eyes. He knew that Junmyeon was a company senior and had much more experience than he had but he just didn’t understand why everyone else, _including Baekhyun_ , was so far up his ass.

 

“Hey! I know you don’t like him but -”

  
  
“I don’t like him. I literally just spent an entire evening with him. Let’s stop talking about him?”

  
  
“But Jongdae, he’s good at what he does!”

  
  
Jongdae knows it’s true and he doesn’t need reminding. After all, he did cover up for Jongdae in the space of seconds earlier that night. Jongdae brushes off the momentary admiration. “I know. What happened to solidarity anyway? You’re meant to dislike him by default because I do. I blindly hated Tao the entire time we were at college. Who knows, we might’ve been best friends if I didn’t.”

At this Baekhyun lets out a groan. “Oh come on, you could have picked a less likeable person - Junmyeon is just so - charming. At least Tao was an actual dickhead.”

 

* * *

 

 

Jongdae curls his fingers around the circumference of the coffee mug, letting the warmth seep through the skin of his palm, his mind recounting his meeting that took place earlier that morning with Junmyeon and Sooyoung. She had essentially ripped apart every excuse on the spot and called him impulsive and reckless. He knows that he is impulsive, that he is reckless but he’s also desperate. Desperate to show Sooyoung that he’s capable. Jongdae could feel the frustration curl in his gut as he takes a sip of the coffee.

 

As the people on the surrounding tables start to filter out, Jongdae remains, cradling a depleting cup of coffee, ignoring the pointed stares from the baristas behind the counter. He supposes he should get back to the office soon. The coffee shop was a fifteen minute walk away from the building and was the most accessible place for the employees, which is why it was a favourite for stressed workers in need of caffeine. Which is also why Jongdae doesn’t bat an eyelid when Junmyeon strides in, hair slightly damp from the rain. He watches the older male carefully from his table. Despite being the same height as Jongdae, Junmyeon projects such an authoritative aura it almost adds a few honorary inches to his 5 foot 8 inch self. Junmyeon notices the younger at his table, grabs his own coffee, and begins to walk over.

 

“I was wondering where you went.”

 

“What after Sooyoung kicked me out?”

 

“She didn’t kick you out. She wanted to talk to me about - ”

  
  
“- about me.”

 

Junmyeon doesn’t respond, fingers curling around his cup. Jongdae observes him a little more carefully from a closer distance. He’s tired. Junmyeon was hard to read pretty much all the time but the way his hair was sticking up after the amount of times he had run his hand through it and the involuntary crease between eyebrows told Jongdae enough.

 

“She said you can come with me the next time we have a lead on the case.” Junmyeon avoids Jongdae’s gaze, choosing instead to look around the empty coffee shop. “She has a lot of faith in you.” His eyes focus steadily on a point above Jongdae’s head. A kind of swelling relief takes over the younger as he racks his brain for a decent thing to say in response but all he could process in that moment was endless gratitude towards Sooyoung and to some degree Junmyeon too because in some dark recess of his mind Jongdae knows that Junmyeon had convinced Sooyoung somehow to -

 

“Fuck,” Jongdae’s thoughts were cut abruptly by a short hiss from Junmyeon. The older man had jolted so violently that his coffee had spilt over his hand. Ducking his head, he slips into the chair opposite Jongdae, slinking further down in an attempt to seem as small as possible. Jongdae frowns slightly.

  
“Are you okay?”

 

Junmyeon’s expression is one of pure discomfort, his eyes flitting to something just behind Jongdae’s head. Jongdae turns to see a tall male walk in from the rain and approach the counter.

 

“What’s wrong? Who is he?” Jongdae leans in over the table, his mind running trying to figure out exactly who could make Junmyeon so - _flustered_. The elder angles his body away from the tall stranger and leans in towards Jongdae.

  
“ _My ex_ ,” comes the agitated whisper. Jongdae let out a surprised laugh. Well, that’s anticlimactic.

 

“Is that it? Damn, by the way you reacted you’d think it was -”

 

“Jongdae, shut the fuck up.” Junmyeon hisses across the table but a shadow had already fallen between them.

 

“Junmyeon - is that you?” the male asks, his tone mildly incredulous. Jongdae studies the man carefully. He’s sure he’s seen him before somewhere.

 

“Tao. Hi - how are you?” Junmyeon plasters a smile on his face, looking up at the man. Jongdae’s jaw drops. Of course. He hadn’t seen Tao since university and quite honestly, he looks nothing like he did three years ago. Tao had always been attractive but since then, Jongdae supposes he had grown into himself a little more. Of course, the arrogance has been a principal part of his personality for a while now. Jongdae wonders with some discomfort, what he and Junmyeon must have looked like as a couple.

 

“You look… worn.” Tao says, ignoring Junmyeon’s question completely. Jongdae splutters on the coffee he was sipping and looked up to Tao who was now staring at him curiously. Yes Junmyeon did look slightly worn, but the where the fuck was his authority to comment on it? Despite looking ( _very minorly_ ) frazzled, Junmyeon was absolutely fucking gorgeous; he practically glowed most days, and if _Jongdae_ of all people could recognise that then Tao’s more of a dickhead than he remembers. Jongdae is pulled out of his musings by Tao’s voice.

  
“Jongdae? Kim Jongdae? The criminology major? I’m not sure if you remember me? It’s Huang Zitao.”

 

“Hi - yeah, I remember. How are you?” Jongdae cringes slightly at Tao’s wide eyes that narrow almost immediately.

 

“You haven’t changed at all.” Tao declares, once again ignoring the question posed to him. Jongdae decides quickly that his sentiments towards Tao had not changed since college and continues to dislike him in quiet fury, cradling his coffee. God, he couldn’t wait to tell Baekhyun about this.

 

“You two know each other?” Junmyeon gestures from Tao to Jongdae.

 

“Yeah we went to university together, he lived in my building. We used to see each other all the time.”

 

“It wasn’t all the time, we just -” Jongdae began to frantically explain to Junmyeon before stopping himself. _Why did he feel the need to explain himself to Junmyeon?_ his conscience pokes at him. Jongdae supposes, he just wants to distance himself from Tao as much as possible.

 

Baekhyun never liked him anyway, he pacifies his conscience.

 

“Speaking of, I never see you around anymore - especially after Lu Han’s bar shut down. To be fair, you always were a bit of a homebody. You never tire of your apartment walls, do you?” Tao flashes a smile at Junmyeon. Jongdae feels irritation flare slightly. He looks over to Junmyeon to see the older man infuriatingly unaffected. “Well here, it’ll be good for you to see everyone again. I’m throwing a party at mine next week. I got engaged.” Tao raises his left hand. “You remember where my place is, right? Bring a plus one, if you’re seeing anyone.”

 

Jongdae’s not quite sure why he was so enraged by this man; all he knew was that Tao makes him a lot more angry than Junmyeon does. Junmyeon’s a co worker and except being horribly patronising and if you disregard that one incident that Jongdae will never speak of; he’s a nice person. And Jongdae is, if anything, nicer than Junmyeon.

 

And Baekhyun hates Tao anyway (Jongdae practically throws the excuse at his conscience).

 

“That sounds nice - you’ve been meaning to introduce me to your friends for some time now, right?” Jongdae says to Junmyeon, entwining their fingers.

 

“What?”

 

“Well, you weren’t planning on keeping me a secret forever, were you?”

 

“You two are together?” Tao tilts his head slightly, appraising the two.

 

“Going on six months,” Jongdae replies easily, turning away from the elder. He savours the effect his words have on Tao, relishing in the momentary surprise that flits across the other’s features. Junmyeon, by this time had finally gotten his thoughts together and began rubbing small circles on Jongdae’s hand. The younger meets his gaze across the table.

 

“It’d be nice actually, it has been a while. Tao, you’ll have to introduce me to your fiancé.” Junmyeon doesn’t take his eyes off Jongdae once and the younger feels a dimension of warmth and gratitude in his expression that Jongdae recognises as affection. Jongdae wants to snatch his gaze away from the man sitting opposite him but doesn’t.

 

“It’s a date then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aight so im so sorry the next update took forever i had the hardest time writing this chapter!! i don't love this one a huge amount but hopefully it will pick up soon! i have plans! 
> 
> also i lov tao really sorry for making him an asshole here it just kind of happened 
> 
> thank u for reading and please please please tell me what u thought here or on my [ tumblr ](%E2%80%9Dglitterjongdae.tumblr.com%E2%80%9D)


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